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SAE Congress '99 Blue Ribbon Panel Features All-Star Cast

21 December 1998

SAE Congress '99 Blue Ribbon Panel Features All-Star Cast 
    WARRENDALE Pa., Dec. 18 -- An all-star international lineup
will discuss "Value for Our World: The Innovation Challenge" at the SAE '99
Congress Blue Ribbon Panel on Monday, March 1 at 4 p.m. in Room W1-51 Cobo
Center in Detroit, Michigan.
    "We all want to be at the forefront of innovation, but achieving a
leadership position is a substantial undertaking," said David E. Cole,
Director, Office for the Study of Automotive Transportation, University of
Michigan, who will serve as moderator for the panel.
    Cole plans to ask the panel a series of questions on innovation that
address the major problems and challenges confronting the automotive industry
today.  Coming up with the answers to these questions will be Herbert Demel,
President, Volkswagen do Brasil; Hubertus von Grunberg, Chairman of the
Executive Board, Continental AG; Kunihiko Masaki, President, Toyota Technical
Center, USA, Inc; Arvin F. Mueller, Vice President and Group Executive, GM
Powertrain, General Motors Corporation; and Lee A. Sage, Global Leader of
Automotive Industry Services, Ernst & Young LLP.
    Demel has worked on Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS), transmission development and
research and development with Robert Bosch GmbH and Audi AG.  He was chairman
of the Management Board of Audi before becoming President of Volkswagen do
Brasil in 1997.
    Von Grunberg worked with Alfred Teves GmbH (ITT) in Germany, Brazil and
the United States, rising to President and Chief Executive Officer,
ITT-Automotive Inc. and Senior Vice President of the ITT Corporation.  He
joined Continental AG in 1991.
    Masaki joined Toyota in 1964 and has been involved in developing safety
features of Toyota vehicles, evaluating their damagability, reparability, and
maintenance costs..
    Mueller was a founding member of the governing council of the United
States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR), an umbrella organization which
promotes and monitors pre-competitive research among the Big Three automakers.
    Sage is co-creator and co-sponsor of the Automotive News PACE Awards that
recognize innovative practices among automotive suppliers.  Throughout his
career, he has been instrumental in helping major auto manufacturers develop
manufacturing strategies and improve processes.
    To preregister for Congress or to obtain more information on the event,
call SAE's hotline at 1-877-SAECONG (723-2664) or visit the SAE Website at
http//www.sae.org.  Journalists can visit SAE's special website at
http://www.sae.org/media.